Is there any way to fix this?

[Lo/Rez]

I was working on a some scales tonight and noticed that I somehow (obviously sheer stupidity) ground down one side of the tang. Is there anything I can do with this?

 

[Bill Burke]

just taper the tang. you will most likely have to redrill the holes and use bigger pins though.

 

[Grayzer86]

You may end up having to taper the tang as was stated. You could try to contour the scale to fit but it will probably end up quite noticable. Looks like a great time to learn tapered tangs.

 

[Lo/Rez]

Thanks for the replys. I've always admired tapered tangs and thought I would try them in a year or so once I gain some experience. Seeing as I won't have the luxury of waiting....how does one go about making a tapered tang?

 

[Bill Burke]

with a grinder??




seriously though, one way is to do a hollow grind, deeper at the butt end of the knife. even the hollow up side to side. then use a disc grinder to flatten/taper the sides of the tang to make the taper even side to side. if you where able to keep the hollow grinding even the flattening is quick and relatively easy.

 

[LAHST Handmade knives]

A: start over on scales and relocate holes after straightening
B: match the taper to the side you tapered accidentally use larger pins then flatten or shape your scales accordingly after you temp mout them and you are happy with your tapered tang

Holes under the scales will give epoxy somewhere to go and effectively give a better bond

Work rest off ,blade upright ,go slow ,control pressure evenly

 

[John Katt]

Put some short pins in the handle then squeeze the living crap out of it in the vice (takes a big vice) that will leave an imprint on the scales that will tell you where to remove material, if the scales are soft enough squeezing it might be all you need to do

 

[james terrio]

Or use thin neoprene sheet as liners, to form a gasket and "fill" the gap.

It works and looks better than you might think... I once did a rehandle on a forged kukri with an already-tapered tang that was so banged-up and uneven there was no other way I could get the new scales to sit flat, and forged so thin that to grind it true would have completely changed the whole shape of the tang... when it was done you could barely tell, short of getting out a caliper and actually measuring the visible "gasket" line in various spots.